Electric switch



N. W. NUTT.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED .IUNE14, 19l9.

1,366,701 Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

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H'IIIIIIIUIII -citizen of the United States, residin UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NORMAN W. NUTT, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application led June 14,

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, NORMAN W. NUTT,.a 1n Trenton, in the county of Mercer and tate of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to quick action snap switches of the same general type as disclosed in my copending application filed of even date herewith, Serial No. 304,146, and presents several variant but equivalent forms of connection between the key spindle and the switch plate, as will be more p articularly pointed out in the annexed specification, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a' lamp socket involving the invention, the outer shell or casing being omitted.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2v2 of Fi 1' A Figli is a rear elevation of the switch plate and the cam for operating the same.

Fig. l is a longitudinal section through the switch plate.

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the locking plate.

Fig. 6 is a sectional edge view thereof.

Figs. 7 and 8 are side elevations of the switch spindle and switch plate with alternative'means connecting the two together.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 indicate the upper and lower halves of a lamp socket supporting base of porcelain or the like, the respective halves being, chambered to provide a housing for the contacts and switch mechanism, and the contacting faces of the two members being provided with longitudinal alining grooves which constitute bearings for the switch spindle when the two halves are secured together by screws or fastening means. in the usual manner. The right hand bearing for the spindle projects within ythe recess formed within the base to provide an extended support for the spindle. The upper section of the base carries the usual contact 20 connected withl wire terminal 21, and the lower section is provided with a spring 22 having the usual center contact 23 disposed within the screwthreaded socket member 24.-.

The spindle 3 is provided with a squared section 3 at its outer end and with the usual thumb piece 19 on the opposite end. Mounted on the cylindrical portion of the specification of Letters ratent.

Patented Jan. 25,1921.

1919. serial No. 304,147.

shaft on opposite sides, said washer thereby holding the shaft against axial movement in the base. Loosely mounted on the forward end of the spindle 3, so as to be capable of longitudinal movement and rotative movement thereon, is a switch plate 4, preferably stamped from sheet metal, having a central annular portion with two oppositely disposed lateral arms having upturned ends 5 constituting contacts for cooperation with the spring contacts 2O and 22, and two shorter arms at right angles to the contact arms and terminating in upturned ears 6, 6. The central portion of the switch plate is provided with an enlarged circular opening through which the squared end of the spin- Y the rear of theplate, as illustrated in Figs.

3 and 4. Between each of the detents 7 and the center of the switch plate is formed a similar boss FL which constitutes a cam member by means of which the switch plate is moved axially of the spindle, as will be hereinafter explained.

In Fig. 1, the switch plate is operatively connected with the spindle by means of a helical spring 15 which extends through a transverse hole in the spindle and has its free ends looped through suitable holes in the upturned ears or lugs 6, 6 on the short arms of the switch plate, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that when the spindle is turned and the switch plate is retained in locked position, the spring is placed under tension and tends to rotate the switch plate in the same direction as the spindle.

Mounted in a squared recess formed in the two halves of the base and concentric with the spindle 3 is a stop plate 9 having squared sides and a dished central portion having an enlarged circular opening l0. Each of the sides of the stop plate is provided with a recess 11, the edges of which constitute stops with which the bosses 7, 7 on the switchy plate engage to retain said switch plate locked in either opened or closed relation.

Mounted on the squared end 3 of the spindle 3 and occupying the dished portion of a stop plate 9 is a cam or dog l2 having oppositely extending radial cam members and a central lug or flange 14 provided with a squared central opening 13 by means of which the cam or dog is locked to the spindle for rotating movement therewith, but is slidable thereon when the parts are to be assemv bled or adjusted. The radial fingers of the cam or dog 12 copcrate with the rounded cam-like bosses 7 on the switch plate and serve to torce the switch plate axially along the spindle until the detent bosses 7 on the switch plate are disengaged from the stop members 11 on the stop plate 9. The boss or flange 14 on the cam member 12 constitutes a journal for the squared end of the shaft. This boss 14 fits snugly within the opening 10 in the stop plate 9.

As illustrated in lFig. 1, the switch is shown in open position with the contact members 5 ot the switch plate out of engagement with the contact springs 20 and 22. Upon turning the spindle 3 for a portion of a revolution, the cam member 12 partakiug of the movement of the spindle rides under the rounded bosses 7 on the switch plate and forces the latter along the shaft toward the handle ot' the spindle until the detents T on the switch plate are disengaged from the stops 11, 11 on the stop plate, 9, which latter is rigidly held in the base. The rotation ot' the spindle while the switch plate is stationary imposes a tensional stress on the helical spring 15, and as soon as the switch plate is unlocked from the stop plate 9 this stress is suicient to impart a rapid rotary movement to the switch plate, which rotary movement continues until the detents 7, 7 thereon are opposite the other set of stops 11, 11 on the stop plate and drop into the recesses forming the stops and lock the switch plate to the stop plate. As the stops 11 on the plate 9 are spaced at intervals of 90, it will be apparent that each successive rotary movement of the switch plate is 90, and to effect this movement the spindle may be turned in either direction. Due to the increased tension of the spring 15 connecting the spindle with the switch plate, the ro- 'tary movement of the latter is very rapid so that when the spindle is turned to open the switch, contact members 5, 5 ot the switch plate are disengaged so quickly from the spring contacts 20 and 22, that sparking between the contacts is practically eliminated.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7, the single helical spring shown in Fig. 1 is replaced by two short helical springs 15 and 1G', which are connected respectively to perforated gears 20 struck from the metal of the shaft and perforated lugs G, 6 on the short arms ot the switch plate. The operation of this form of the invention is substantially identical with that of the form shown in Fig. 1, but the double spring arrangement renders the snap action of the switch a little smoother and more positive, inasmuch as the short helical springs 15 and 16 will be individually placed under somewhat greater tension by the partial rotation of the spindle than would be the long unitary spring shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 8, the upturned'lugs 6 on the switch plate 4; are provided with lateral flanges 6', 6', and the spindle is provided with two transverse perforations through which are passed two sprin rods or wires 15, the outer ends of which lie between the flanges G on the switch plate. In this form of the device, when the spindle 3 is partly rotated, the spring rods 15 are bent between the points of en agement with the spindle and the switch p ate and impose a strain on the switch plate which tends to rotate the latter, so that when the switch plate is moved out of engagement with the stop plate, this stress becomes eiective to rotate the switch plate through 90o and until it is again locked to the switch plate in the man ner hereinbefore described.

lVhat I claim is A snap switch comprising an axially Inov able rotary switch plate and a stationary plate having coperative engagement therewith, a rotary spindle, a coil spring connection between the spindle and switch plate, said spring passing through an opening in the spindle, and substantially parallel to said switch plate for rotating said switch plate.

NORMAN'W. NUTT. ,'Wtnesses W. I. PnAoooK, f JOHN R. il, Bowan. 

